1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to saturated fluid/vapor flow control devices for use in controlling a flow stream. More specifically, this invention relates to devices for reducing the velocity of the flow as it leaves the choke 100, thereby improving the working life of system flash tanks and other system components.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of devices have been proposed for saturated fluid/vapor flow control. Typically, these prior devices result in significantly increased flow momentum as the flow leaves the choke 100 nozzle at high, even supersonic, velocities. This flow momentum increase found in prior devices typically must be dissipated in a flash tank, where significant wear and tear is induced.
It is desirable to provide a flow control device, described herein as a Flash Tube Device, which has an enlarged expansion cone to both avoid xe2x80x9cexplosivexe2x80x9d flashing of liquid to vapor as well as reducing the kinetic energy or momentum of the flow, thereby improving the working life of hydraulic components, including the flash tank. While generally within this specification the flow is described as a fluid/vapor mixture it should be understood that this mixture may also include solids. For the purposes of this patent disclosure the flow should be interpreted to include an combination of fluids, vapors and/or solids.
Therefore, it is the general object of this invention to provide a flow control device that has an extended expansion cone to expand the fluid/vapor mixture to a pressure lower than the pressure in the outlet container.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a flow control device that expands the fluid/vapor mixture such that the shock wave occurs within the choke 100.
It is another object of this invention to provide a flow control device that reduces the kinetic energy of the flow as it leaves the choke 100.
A further object of this invention is to provide a flow control device that can be used to match the flow and pressure conditions in the flash tank. A still further object of this invention is to provide a flow control device that can be used to improve the service life of the flash tank and/or allow the flash tank to be made of less expensive materials and/or to be a smaller size.
It is another object of this invention to provide a flow control device that improves the efficiency of fluid (combined with solids if present) and vapor separation in the flash tank by reducing the flow energy in the flash tank.
These and other objects of this invention are achieved by the device described herein and are readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure and/or ordinary experimentation with the device described herein.